Rock the Garden's Crafty Early Adopter
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Rock the Garden's Crafty Early Adopter

A couple enjoys glasses of Summit beer surrounded by the crowds of an outdoor concert at the Walker Art Center.
Rock the Garden, June 16, 2018. Courtesy Walker Art Center, Minneapolis. Photo by Carina Lofgren.

Rock the Garden had been a fledgling outdoor concert on-and-off for 10 years prior to the Walker Art Center and 89.3 The Current joining forces in 2008. As this new partnership sought to elevate the program into the next level of festivaldom, Summit Brewing Company—another Minnesota cultural institution—was eager to get involved.

Summit Brewing Company’s history dates back to 1986, long before craft beer was on anyone’s radar. That year, founder Mark Stutrud was in St. Paul studying old-world brewing traditions and crafting a Minnesota legacy. His Summit Extra Pale Ale is more than 35 years old and led the way for other microbrew staples.

“With two forward-thinking Twin Cities stalwarts like MPR and the Walker collaborating to bring some of our favorite musicians together, it was really a no-brainer,” says Stutrud. “Summit is proud to be a part of this incredible (and incredibly fun) series year after year.”

The official beer of Rock the Garden ever since, Summit is the event’s longest-standing corporate partner, cementing the program as a uniquely Minnesotan experience.

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